


I'll Keep you Safe

by zarcake



Category: Red Dead Redemption
Genre: Alcohol, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Implied Child Abandonment, Implied/Referenced Abortion, Miscarriage, Past Abuse, Pregnancy, Pregnancy sex, Spoilers, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-02
Updated: 2018-11-17
Packaged: 2019-08-16 18:26:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16500470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zarcake/pseuds/zarcake
Summary: When you discover your pregnant, Arthur promises to help you.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> First time writing for Arthur Morgan. There are so little fics with him, it needs to change. So I'm gonna change it. This is also on my tumblr btw. Enjoy!

The vomiting and the general queasiness seemed like nothing at first. A cold had been going around camp, so you thought it was just that. A simple cold. But when no other symptoms appeared, and you realized how late you were, well, that’s when you realized what it was. 

You left camp the moment you realized. Which was in the middle of the night. The women would catch on soon, and they would talk. Then Dutch would find out. And all the other men would talk. You knew what they would say. It’s just another mouth to feed. You’ll need more food to support you and the babe. Who’s the father? Another bastard baby brought into this world. You should get rid of it. Get rid of it now, there’s a doctor a few towns over. Or leave it in the woods. 

The tears ran down your face as you puked the next morning. You had camped out several miles away from where the gang was hiding. Your horse was hitched nearby, your distress was bothering the poor mare. The cold morning air left goosebumps along your skin, but you didn’t care about that. What the hell were you going to do? Stay with the gang and try to raise a child, or go back to him. The second thought made you sicker. You were all alone. All alone with a baby growing inside of you. 

The sound of a horse approaching your campsite, and someone calling your name made you freeze. You recognized that voice from anywhere. Wiping your mouth, you turned and saw Arthur Morgan approaching your camp. He hitched his horse near yours and quickly approached you. 

“You’re still sick, why did you leave camp?” he asked. His rough hands grasped your forearms gently. He looked worried, annoyed, and relived all at once. His brows furrowed slightly in agitation, but god you thought it was so cute. 

“I’m fine.” 

“No, you’re not. Come on, let’s get back to camp.”

“I can’t.” You pulled away from him and took a step back.

“Why not? What’s wrong?”

“I… I’m…” you tried. Arthur looked confused but didn’t press you. You took a deep breath, then spoke again. “I’m not sick. I’m pregnant.” 

“What?”

“I don’t know what to do. I’m late and last night I realized it. And I threw up again this morning. Arthur, what am I gonna do?” Your hands wrapped around your midsection, and tears ran down your face. 

“Hey, come on. Let’s sit down. I’m here, alright? I’ll help you.” Arthur wrapped his coat around you, it smelled just like him, and led you to your small tent. He helped you inside then he crawled in behind you.

You both sat in silence for a moment. Arthur watched you dry your face and huddle deeper into his jacket. You looked so small in it. So small and scared. Arthur couldn’t deny the feeling he had to protect you. He wanted to pull you into his arms and tell you that he would keep you safe. He wasn’t even surprised by what he was feeling anymore. The moment you joined the gang he had been drawn to you. He tried to be subtle with his affections, but everyone saw how he spoke to you and brought you random objects from town. 

When he learned of your past, how you ran from an abusive husband your family made you marry, Arthur was tempted to hunt him down. But you were crying then, and he couldn’t push his feelings onto you. Instead, he simply wrapped an arm around you and promised nobody would hurt you. 

“It’s his, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it’s his. Arthur, don’t send me back to him. Please. He’ll kill us. I’ll leave and I won’t bother you and the others. Just, please don’t take me back to him.” The desperate look in your eyes broke his heart. 

“Hey, I’m not taking you back to anyone. You are your own woman, understand? And you’re a part of our gang, we ain’t gonna abandon you.” He took your hand in his and squeezed it slightly. His skin was rough but his hands were warm. They were so much bigger than your own. 

“I’m gonna be useless, Arthur. Everyone is already tense, and me being on the sidelines, I’m gonna be a liability, Arthur.”

“You’re never useless. I’ve seen you kill a man running on an hour of sleep. The further this pregnancy goes, I’ll need to take those guns away from you.”

You laughed softly and bumped him with your shoulder. Arthur smirked down at you and chuckled. He was still holding your hand; his thumb was moving is slow circles along your skin. After a moment of silence, you spoke. 

“I don’t want any more people to know about who I ran from or where I’m from. You and Dutch are the only people who know, but the moment I tell someone else, then the whole camp will know. I don’t want them to think my baby will be like that bastard.” 

“We can tell them the baby’s mine.” The moment he opened his mouth, Arthur wanted to punch himself in the face. 

“What? Oh, Arthur, that’s sweet of you. But I can’t.”

“I don’t mind. And if they think the baby is mine, well then no one will say anything about you being pregnant. I’m not a good man, but I will do everything for you and your baby.” His free hand went to rest on your stomach, but he thought better and pulled back.

“You can touch if you want. There’s not much there yet.” You pulled your shirt up and showed Arthur your stomach. The way you were sitting caused your stomach to roll slightly, but your skin looked so soft. He flushed slightly as he thought of all the things he could do to your body. The kissing, biting, licking. He pushed those thoughts away and rested his hand against your stomach. He’s imagined many things with you, but touching the beginnings of your baby bump sure wasn’t one of them. 

“They’re in there?”

“I’m pretty sure. I haven’t had my period since I joined a couple months ago. And the vomiting hasn’t gone away yet. Are you sure you’re comfortable saying you’re the father? I don’t want the others to think anything bad.”

“Oh darlin, careful, your upper-class past is showing.”

“I wasn’t upper-class Arthur. I was just married off to a smug bastard with a large farm. Don’t change the subject.”

“They won’t care, and I don’t care what they think.”

“Thank you, Arthur.”

“You’re welcome. I told you I would keep you safe, and I intend to keep my promise.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arthur takes you out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy the fluff and slight smut. Also, there are some mentions of a certain mission that happens in Chapter 2 of the game.

The room Arthur rented at the Valentine hotel was not the most luxurious, but it was a step up from sleeping in a tent. Mainly because a real bed was available, and actual walls that kept the cold out. And the idea of taking a warm bath tonight was something you had been looking forward to all day. You had wanted to go to Strawberry, but after what happened with Micah there, well it was not safe. 

It’s been a month since you told Arthur about the pregnancy and the rest of the gang found out. The announcement went better than you expected. Dutch and Hosea congratulated Arthur. The other men joked that they were surprised an old man like Arthur could still get it up. The women began to tell you what you need to do or should be doing. Yet none of them seemed to agree on anything they said. The only one you were willing to listen to was Abigail. 

Sitting on the bed you let out a long sigh. Outside the window, you could see the sun was beginning to set. Running your hand over your barely showing stomach, you removed your hat and shifted. The bed beneath you was a bit lumpy, but it felt good. You noticed the paint on the walls was chipping in some places, and there was an odd smell in the room, but you didn’t mind. Yawning loudly, you felt so exhausted all of a sudden. 

“You feeling alright?” Arthur asked. His coat was off and hanging over a chair. The dark union shirt he wore underneath looked really good on him. His hair was loosely slicked back, and his facial hair was growing out a bit. 

“Yeah. My pants are getting snug, and I’m feeling a bit tired, but Abigail said that’s normal. Glad to be out of camp though. I was feeling suffocated being stuck there. I can’t do anything, and no one will let me try to help. And John keeps asking why I’m wearing pants. Someone should make him wear a fucking dress and corset.” 

Arthur chuckled at the image of John in a dress. Then he thought of you in a dress, which made him blush slightly. “We don’t want you doing something that will hurt you.”

“I know, but I’m not a child. I had hoped that you and the others would know if I needed help, I would ask you all for help. Or I would say I can’t lift that saddle. Or sorry I can’t go hunting with you right now. Or no, I cannot go robbing trains or banks.”

“I get it. It’s my fault. I asked them to keep an eye on you when I’m not in camp. I’m just worried about you… both of you.”

You could feel your face soften at that revelation. Arthur Morgan was not the type of man who expressed any feelings, except irritation and anger. So him admitting he was worried for you, the both of you, it made your chest warm. “Arthur, come here.”

Arthur glanced over his shoulder and saw you patting the spot beside you on the bed. He approached you and sat down slowly. The bed dipped beneath his weight, your body leaned towards him. You couldn't resist resting your head against his shoulder. And when his arm wrapped around your waist, it felt like heaven. 

“Darlin?”

“Hm?” 

“Do you want me sleeping in here tonight? I know we sleep together at camp, but you don’t need to tonight.”

The day you told Arthur you were pregnant, he moved your stuff into his tent. And every night since then, you’ve slept in his tent. It was weird at first, but you began to enjoy the feeling of his body beside you. The first time he wrapped an arm around your waist and began to touch your stomach, you couldn’t help but smile. 

When he would go out to do missions for the gang, well, those nights sucked. You slept with one of his shirts, and the small baby blanket he bought, in your arms. Just the smell of him was enough to calm you and lull you to sleep. When he found out, you felt silly, but he only kissed your lips and handed you his jacket. 

“Arthur, please sleep in here with me. I don’t want to sleep alone. I sleep alone when you leave camp and I fucking hate it.”

“Alright. Even though I snore?”

“You only snore when you sleep on your back.”

“Really?”

“Yup. That’s why I push you onto your side.”

“Is that why? I thought you just wanted to hug me.”

“Nah, that’s the only way I keep you on your side and get some sleep myself.” Glancing up at the man, you saw he was smiling down at you. 

“And here I thought you liked me.”

“Oh, I do. I just like sleep more.” Arthur chuckled at that and pressed a kiss to your forehead. 

“I’m gonna go down and get something to eat. You hungry?” Arthur asked. 

“I’m always hungry.” Arthur nodded and dressed quickly. He left an extra gun on the bedside table, just within reach of you. Just in case. 

As Arthur left the room, he glanced back and saw you were laying on your side. You gave him a sleepy smile and closed your eyes. 

 

Arthur woke to the feeling of the bed shifting. Opening his eyes, he saw you across the room digging into your satchel bag. You were wearing one of his shirts since you refused to wear a woman’s nightgown and your usual sleeping clothes were getting too tight. Arthur enjoyed the way you looked in his shirt. It fit you like a dress, hanging just pass your thighs. He remembered the first time you wore it around camp, he couldn't take his eyes off you. 

The happy noise you made brought Arthur back to the present. In your hand was a chocolate bar, and there was an excited look on your face. You opened the wrapper quietly and broke off a piece for yourself. The pleased look that crossed your face when you placed the candy in your mouth had Arthur smiling. You were so beautiful. 

“Is that where those candy bar wrappers are coming from? Thought they were from Jack.” 

You jumped and turned to Arthur. You gave him a guilty smile and laughed. “Yes. I’m craving chocolate a lot lately. Pearson has been nice enough to pick me up extra when he goes into town. Course, I think he’s stealing them because he says they didn’t cost him anything.” 

“Mmm, he might be.”

“Would you like some?” you asked.

“Sure.” Arthur sat up in the bed and made room for you to get in beside him.

You broke off a piece and held it out to Arthur. Instead of him taking it from your hand like you expected him to do, he opened his mouth and took the piece directly from your fingers. His teeth grazed against your skin, and his tongue licked away any extra chocolate. A shiver ran through you when you felt him suck the tips of your fingers clean. The look on his face was so smug like he planned to do that.

“Tastes good. But I think something else will taste better.”

“Like what?”

“Like you.” Arthur leaned forward and pressed his lips against yours. A squeak left you, but you quickly leaned into the kiss. His lips were rough, and his facial hair scraped against your skin, but you loved the feeling. When your tongue slipped into his mouth, he groaned. He tasted like tobacco and chocolate, with a slight hint of whiskey. The kisses you both have shared before were soft and sweet. Little pecks here and there. But this, this kiss was full of hunger and need. The candy bar in your hand was dropped onto the bedside table. Fuck the candy, you thought, I’m craving him.

Arthur pushed the shirt you wore up past your stomach so it bunched up beneath your breasts. His rough hands ran across your thighs as he pressed soft kisses to your stomach. A moan slipped past your lips as his hands ran along your inner thighs and cupped your pussy. He groaned at the feeling of your slick already seeping out of you. 

“Arthur,” you sighed. Glancing up he saw your eyes were barely open, and you were chewing on your bottom lip. 

“You’re so beautiful. I’ve wanted to be between your legs for so long now.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Will you let me love you tonight?” Arthur asked. The adoration in his eyes made you feel weak, and hot all at once. You could see the slight blush that covered his cheeks, and the sudden twinge of anxiety in his eyes. How could you say no to him? 

“Only if you promise to never stop loving me.”

“I promise.”

Arthur did indeed make love to you that night. He kissed every inch of your body, and the sweet words he whispered into your skin brought tears to your eyes. He fingered you and sucked your clit, something no man has ever done for you, not even the man you called husband. The bites and marks that covered your shoulders and chest, he made sure to kiss each one sweetly. 

He rolled you onto your side, taking care to make sure you were comfortable and took you that way. He lifted your leg and placed it over his own body, giving him access to your pussy. He was slow and gentle with his thrusts, while his rough fingers focused on your clit. When you came, you cried his name and begged him to not stop. And he didn’t stop, not until you were a limp mess. Only then did he cum inside you. 

Laying in the afterglow, Arthur pulled you against his body. He pressed several soft kisses to your cheek and bare shoulder. No words were spoken, no words needed to be spoken. He kissed away the tears that leaked out of the corner of your eyes. He didn’t question them, he knew why. His hand ran down you bare, sweaty body, and rested against your growing stomach. The baby wasn’t his, not by blood, but he would raise them as his own. And he would love you the way a husband was supposed to love a wife. 

For the first time, in a very long time, Arthur Morgan felt at peace. He pulled a blanket over you both and closed his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In a fragile state, you go away and Arthur comes looking for you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying to write more angst, so this is my attempt. Hope you enjoy.

The taste of whiskey and vomit lingered in your mouth. The pounding in your head made it hard to focus on the world around you. The dryness of your face made it clear you had fallen asleep crying again. Opening your eyes, you saw you were in a room with peeling red paint. The empty whiskey bottle beside you is the remainder of last night’s dinner. The light that streamed in from the window hurt your eyes and made your head pound harder. 

Rolling off the bed, you landed with a thud onto the floor. Standing up was even harder, the whole world felt like it was spinning and everything was hazy. The mirror across the room caught your attention. You didn’t even recognize the woman looking back. Her eyes were red and empty looking. The dark bags beneath her eyes told you she hadn’t slept properly. She looked thinner than before, which made sense, the only thing you’ve been consuming the past few days has been whiskey and some canned fruit. You ran out of canned fruit a day ago. There was a dark bruise on her cheekbone. Her first night in town a man got handsy with her and they fought.

“I look like shit,” you mumbled to yourself. You wondered what Arthur would think of you right now. He would probably be angry with you for drinking the last three days away and running off. The last time you saw him, he looked so angry. That anger turned to a cold indifference that shattered your already broken heart. You quickly pushed him from your mind, it hurt too much to think about him and what could have been. 

Pulling on your jacket and boots, and fixing your hat, you headed downstairs. The clerk behind the counter gave you a look, but you ignored him and ordered a bath. The warm bath helped clear your head. And the woman who assisted with the baths helped wash and brush your hair. She was kind and spoke softly as she braided your hair. 

“This man came into town early this morning. He looked so mean,” she said. 

“Oh?”

“Yeah. He was armed and he looked so exhausted like he hadn’t slept in several days. Lord, the way he scowled at me. Thought he was gonna shoot me right there. He rented a room at the saloon.”

“Might want to avoid him, sounds like trouble.” 

“Oh honey, I am.” 

When the woman was done, you dressed and examined yourself in the mirror. You looked a bit better, but not by much. At least you felt clean. Exiting the hotel, you found Valentine was already awake. The watch you stole a week back told you it was just after one in the afternoon. No wonder people were milling about doing their own thing. 

You had been here for about three days now, doing nothing but drinking, fighting occasionally, and stumbling back to your hotel room. After what happened, with Arthur and the baby, you just wanted to be away from everyone. Some time to yourself, you called it. Course, you did leave in the middle of the night and not tell anyone where you were going. When Charles asked where you were going, you barely answered the man. 

“Can’t sleep. Just heading out for some air,” you said. That was three days ago. Three days of doing nothing, but finding comfort in the bottom of a bottle. At this point, the majority of your blood was probably replaced with whiskey. 

Checking your bag, you counted your supplies and cash. There was no food for yourself, and barely anything for your horse. Your money supply decreased drastically within the last three days. All of it spent on whiskey and hotel rooms. There was just enough cash for some food for your horse and a bottle of whiskey, or food for yourself and a bottle of whiskey. Buying a bottle of whiskey was the one thing you definitely needed.

The general store was busy, so no one noticed when you slipped a can of fruit into your bag. And no one paid any attention to you when you bought some horse feed and some whiskey. The only one who seemed excited to see you was your horse. 

“Come on girl, we gotta go. Don’t have enough money to spend another night here,” you said. You pulled yourself up and rode your horse out of town.

You rode all day in no particular direction, only stopping to make camp for the night. It took a while to start a fire, you were never good at it. Arthur was usually the one who started the fire when you both went out. The cold air urged you to set up your tent, which took longer than you were willing to admit. 

The night air was cool, and the full moon overhead bathed the entire area in a bright, white light. Your horse was nearby, grazing freely. The heat from the fire felt good against your skin, while the whiskey in your system made you feel warm. Your hand rested on your now flat stomach. Tears burned your eyes as you remembered the feeling of life within you. 

The sound of hooves approaching your camp got your attention. Grabbing your gun and turning towards the noise, you saw one person approaching you. In the light of the full moon, you recognized the horse and the man on top. 

Arthur pulled his horse to a stop and dismounted. He approached you slowly, the brim of his hat hid most of his face.

A million feelings flooded through you at that moment. Anger, shame, regret, love, hope, fear. You wanted to run to him, and wrap your arms around his body. You wanted to kiss his face and apologize a million times to him. You wanted him to hold you, and swear his love to you. But another part of you was afraid. Afraid of facing all the emotions you ran from. Afraid of what he would say. Afraid of him leaving you alone in this world. 

“You gonna put that gun down? Or shoot me?” he asked. His voice was rough and sent a wave of fear through you.

“I could never shoot you, Arthur Morgan.” 

“No, just run away from me, and everyone else.” He angled his head up so you could see his face. God in heaven, he looked so angry and hurt. 

“I didn’t run away.”

“Oh? And what do you call this? Hiding in Valentine of all places. They know our faces there, you could have been arrested. And drinking away these last three days? Getting in fights and breaking windows? This isn't you." 

“I didn’t break any windows! And who are you to lecture me? You pushed me away. You drink all the fucking time. And I wasn’t hiding. I wanted to get away from what happened.”

“So, you leave all of us? We’re a fucking family.” 

“I was going to come back when I wanted to come back. When I fucking felt like it.”

“And when would that be?”

“I don’t know.”

“Jesus Christ. You’re a real piece of work, you know that?” 

“You’re one to talk. Mr. I have no emotions and I hate everyone.” The area grew silent again. The only sounds heard was the crackling of the fire and the horses huffing. Your body was shaking, and you felt so cold. “I get it, it’s my fault. It’s my fault I lost the baby, and I know you hate me because of it. But don’t you dare lecture me about what I should be doing. If I want to find comfort at the bottom of a bottle, then I fucking will. Everyone else does. Why can’t fucking I?” 

“You think I hate you?” Arthur asked in a soft voice. All the anger in his face vanished, he looked so heartbroken. 

“I know you do. After you came back and I told you, I saw the look on your face. The pain and anger. Then you pushed me away. Wouldn’t take me out like you used too or go hunting with me. You even told me to sleep in my own tent. That was… I… I get it. You’re mad at me. It’s all my fault.” Tears were running down your face now, and your hands were shaking. “So why don’t you just leave? Leave me alone.”

“It isn’t your fault. I never blamed you.” Arthur took a step towards you, his hands reached out to you. 

“It is my fault. I wasn’t feeling right for a few days. Then there was that mess in Valentine, and we were moving. And our first few days at the new camp, I knew something was wrong. But everyone was so stressed and scared, so, I kept quiet. Then there was the pain and blood. Fuck Arthur, there was so much blood.”

You broke down into sobs. The bottle slipped from your fingers and landed on the floor. Arthur closed the distance between you both and pulled you against his chest. His hands ran down your back as he spoke to you soft voice. With a firm grip on the front of his jacket, you let everything out. All the pain and anger you had kept bottled up since the incident, it all came pouring out. 

Arthur pulled you down to the ground with him, his arms wrapped around your body as he cradled you in his lap. As your sobs began to quiet down, you were left feeling completely drained. It was a surprise when you heard Arthur start to hum. 

“I wasn’t angry at you, I was angry at myself,” Arthur said.

“What?”

“I thought it was my fault you lost the baby. The stress of moving and hiding from the law, followed by me leaving for missions, I thought it was my fault. That I did it somehow. I did try to push you away, but only because I realized I don’t deserve you. You deserve better than me." 

“You’re a stupid man, Arthur Morgan.”

“I know. Darlin, I’m so sorry. I’m sorry I made you feel bad and drove you away. I never blamed you. Shit I… I love you.”

“I love you too, Arthur.” 

You both sat there in silence, enjoying the feel of holding each other. The fire continued to burn, keeping you both warm. Your eyes began to grow heavy, from the whiskey and emotional exhaustion. When Arthur's hand cupped your chin, you jumped. He angled your head up and pressed a soft kiss to your lips. 

“How much whiskey have you had?” he said, against your lips.

“Too much,” you groaned. He let out a small laugh and kissed your forehead. 

“In the morning I’m making you some real food. Then we’re gonna head to a town, any town, and get some real sleep. How does that sound?”

“Good. I’m sorry for everything Arthur.”

“You got nothing to apologize for. I’m the one that needs to make this whole thing up to you. Now lay down, get some sleep.” Arthur helped you into your tent and placed his jacket over you. 

“What about you?”

“Don’t worry about me. Get some sleep.”

You nodded and closed your eyes. The sound of the crackling fire combined with Arthur’s soft humming put you at ease. And with his jacket over you, and his smell around you, you were asleep almost instantly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. If you liked it, why not leave me a comment?

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! If you feel like it, leave a comment!


End file.
